Wow! Ultimate Scandinavia/Russia on the Serenade Review 7/24-8/6/16

[Cat54]

Enjoying your review. Great pictures!

[Donna_In_India]

Enjoying your review. Great pictures!

 

Thank you!

[Donna_In_India]

Stockholm Archipelago

 

 

Stockholm Archipelago

 

 

Stockholm Archipelago - I could live in one of these

 

 

Taxi boat - Stockholm Archipelago

 

 

 

Stockholm Archipelago

 

 

Vehicle Ferry - Stockholm Archipelago

 

[Donna_In_India]

Stockholm Archipelago

 

 

Stockholm Archipelago

 

 

My husband's boring desserts. There's never enough chocolate for me. :)

 

 

 

Sunset

 

 

Our First Towel Animal

 

[Donna_In_India]

Arriving in Helsinki

 

 

The line to get off the ship - running up from Deck 2 to 4 and around the Centrum, Helsinki

 

 

 

On the bus into the city center, Helsinki

 

 

 

Kasha and a new friend, Helsinki

 

[Donna_In_India]

Entrance to the Church of the Rock - also known as Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki

 

 

Church of the Rock - Mustn't have seen the sign, Helsinki :)

 

 

Inside Church of the Rock, Helsinki

 

 

 

The Altar - Church of the Rock, Helsinki

 

[Donna_In_India]

Kampi Metro Escalator, Helsinki

 

 

Great Metro, Helsinki

 

 

Shopping Underground, Helsinki

 

 

Ice Cream AGAIN (on the Metro), Helsinki

 

 

Tram in front of the Helsinki Central Railway Station

 

 

Helsinki Central Railway Station

 

[Donna_In_India]

Street Musicians, Helsinki

 

 

Scandinavians LOVE to be outside, Helsinki

 

 

Near Market Square, Helsinki

 

 

Market Square, Helsinki

 

 

Market Square, Helsinki

 

 

Market Square, Helsinki

 

[Donna_In_India]

Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki

 

 

Strawberry Tart & Coffee at Kaffeehaus Rontgen Patisserie, Helsinki

 

 

Ice Cream at Kaffeehaus Rontgen Patisserie, Helsinki

 

 

Sparakoff Pub Tram - Bet this is a lot of fun! - Helsinki

 

 

Helsinki Cathedral

 

[Donna_In_India]

Sailing out of Helsinki

 

 

Sailing out of Helsinki

 

 

Sailing out of Helsinki

 

 

One of the many ferries we passed during the cruise

 

 

Looking down to the Centrum

 

 

Kasha's favorite place to look down to the Centrum to see if anyone was dancing

 

Edited August 25, 2016 by Donna_In_India

[Donna_In_India]

The Sphinx on the University Embankment, St. Petersburg

 

 

Shopping in St. Petersburg

 

 

Entering the Courtyard of Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

Beautiful Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

One of the many gates at Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

The booties to protect the floors in Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

[Donna_In_India]

At the bottom of the Great Staircase in Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

The Great Hall in Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

The Great Hall in Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

The Great Hall in Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

White State Dining Room - Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

Green Pilaster Room - Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

[Donna_In_India]

Portrait Hall - Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

The Grounds - Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

Stunning Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

Catherine Palace Grounds, St. Petersburg

 

 

Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg

 

 

First Lunch in St. Petersburg

 

[Donna_In_India]

The metro of St. Petersburg opened in 1955. Staffed by 15,000 people it has five lines, 67 stations, and 1,600 trains. Serving 2.3 million passengers each day it is the 12th busiest metro system in the world. The subway is the deepest in the world - a steep 105 meters below ground. It also has some of the most beautiful stations. Each station is a work of art with wonderful statues, mosaics, and carvings. I knew early on that I wanted to see at least one metro station and confirmed with TJ Travel that we would.

 

We arrived at the Pushkinskaya Metro Station. The station opened in 1956. We needed tickets to visit the station so our guide bought our tickets (the ticket booths are very elaborate) and we got on the VERY long escalator. This station was "only" 57 meters deep. The first thing you notice is how extremely clean the station is! No trash around at all. The walls are snow-white marble and the floor is made of polished dark-red granite. The vaulted ceilings are decorated with moulded wreaths. At the end of the station is a sculpture of the famous Russian poet Alexander Puskin set against panels depicting a park. After seeing this station I am sure that on a return trip to St. Petersburg, I'd try to see as many more as possible.

 

Next we boarded a boat for a trip down the Neva River and along the canals. I loved weaving through the islands and under the bridges. It's always fascinating to see a city from the water. We passed many St. Petersburg landmarks from Anichkov Bridge to Peter and Paul Cathedral. One note is that there was no shade and it was very hot but overall it was a great trip! (One thing I'll note here since when sorting through photos of the boat trip I came across one of a guy smoking is that so, SO many people smoke in Europe/Russia - everywhere!. It's strange to think that the U.S. was the same way at one time. If you are sensitive to smoke, you will definitely notice it.)

 

We finished our boat trip on the Fontanka River near the Faberge Museum which was our next stop. The museum is located in the newly restored Shuvalov Palace on the river. It was recently opened - 2013 - almost a decade after Viktor Vekselberg purchased a one-of-a-kind collection of Faberge works which had been collected by Malcom Forbes. The museum contains the world's largest collection of works by Carl Faberge. Nine of Faberge's famous Imperial Easter Eggs are the highlight of the museum as well as the most valuable pieces in the museum. The eggs were created for the last two Russian emperors - Alexander III and Nicholas II - and each is a masterpiece of jewelery and art. The eggs are stunning and the details are incredible. The museum houses all kinds of objects including works by famous Russian jewelers and silversmiths such as Sazikov, Ovchinnikov, Khlebnikov, Rückert among others. The eggs were obviously my favorites but I really liked the religious works as well. The Faberge Museum is definitely a highlight of any visit to St. Petersburg!

 

We left the museum and headed down Nevsky Prospekt (a main shopping street), passing by Palace Square, on the way back to the ship. It had been a very long day. We were supposed to be back at the ship by 5 and it was after 6:30. We were happily exhausted! Once we arrived back at the cruise terminal we took a quick peek at the small souvenir shops before heading back through immigration. The lines were almost non-existent and we were back on board the ship within a few minutes. Dinner at the Windjammer and back to our room to relax....and sleep!!

 

Cruise Compass for Day 4:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tn5egoy101nl9pu/Complete%20Day%204.pdf?dl=0

[Donna_In_India]

Entrance to Pushkinskaya Metro Station, St. Petersburg

 

 

Ticket Window Pushkinskaya Metro Station, St. Petersburg

 

 

Inside Pushkinskaya Metro Station, St. Petersburg

 

 

Metro at Pushkinskaya Metro Station, St. Petersburg

 

 

Russian McDonalds across from Pushkinskaya Metro Station, St. Petersburg

 

[Donna_In_India]

St. Petersburg from the water

 

 

 

St. Petersburg from the water

 

 

 

Approaching Anichkov Bridge - the oldest and most famous bridge across the Fontanka River in Saint Petersburg

 

 

 

Anichkov Bridge - the oldest and most famous bridge across the Fontanka River in Saint Petersburg

 

 

 

Smoking....St. Petersburg

 

[Donna_In_India]

St. Petersburg from the water

 

 

Peter and Paul Cathedral inside Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg

 

 

Beach in front of Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg

 

[Donna_In_India]

Faberge Egg, Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

Faberge Egg, Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

Religious Object, Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

Religious Object, Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg

 

[Coralc]

[quote name=Donna_In_India;50871854Religious Object' date=' Faberge Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

Those are really interestingly different! :D:):D Great and fascinating review and photos! Thanks for sharing your cruise.

[Donna_In_India]

Those are really interestingly different! :D:):D Great and fascinating review and photos! Thanks for sharing your cruise.

 

Thank you. :)

[Donna_In_India]

Cruise Compass Day 4

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tn5egoy101nl9pu/Complete%20Day%204.pdf?dl=0

 

 

On our second day in St. Petersburg we were through immigration within minutes. Our happy group of 12 was on the bus and ready for another day. Our first stop was at a market. It was not a market in the traditional sense of a foreign market - outdoors with separate stalls. It was indoors and more like a grocery store. There were separate sections - cheese, meat, spices, etc. Then there were a couple of stalls with fruits and vegetables that did look like they were separately owned since they had some of the same things for sale. I was disappointed that I didn't have any rubles to spend there. The didn't take foreign currency or credit card. Our guide had said that the market wasn't much and she was right. I was expecting something a bit different but it was interesting to see none the less.

 

Next we headed to Peter and Paul Fortress. The fortress is located on Zayachy Island. It was ordered built by Peter the Great in 1703 and is considered to mark the founding of St. Petersburg. Originally built in wood it was later replaced - section by section - in stone which would take 20 years to complete. It has a grisly history - hundreds of forced laborers died while building the fortress. Later the bastions were used to guard and torture political prisoners, including Peter the Great's son, Aleksey.

 

Although there are several buildings on the island the most famous (and the only one we explored) is the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul. You can see its tall spire from many places around the city. The cathedral is the oldest church in St. Petersburg and was built in Baroque style which is very different than traditional Orthodox churches. Inside you will find the tombs of all the rulers of Russia since (and including) Peter the Great. Also here are the tombs of both Catherines and Elizabeth. The lids of the tombs are decorated with large bronze cross coated in pure gold. Tombs of the rulers have four bronze emblems of the Russian Empire at each corner. The marbled columns, sparkling chandeliers, colorfully painted decor, and the ornate nave and the pulput are truly beautiful and IMO this is must see when in St. Petersburg. There is much more to see at the fortress and I think you could spend several hours here (there is also a beach). Unfortunately being pressed for time other than the Cathedral we only popped in to see the boathouse (which is now a ticket office and souvenir shop) before leaving for our next stop, Church on Spilled Blood.

 

All of my life I have seen photos of the Church on Spilled Blood. Before our cruise, if I had only been able to see one thing, this church would have been it. Well....sometimes things don't live up to your expectations. That is by no means to say that this isn't a spectacular church...it is. But there were just SO many amazing sights/places in St Petersburg, that when I left, I couldn't pick a favorite.

 

Church of Spilled Blood is also known as the Resurrection of Our Saviour. It is located on Griboyedov Canal Embankment and you can get a split second glimpse of the church when you pass by in a boat. The Church was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated as a memorial to him. The exterior of the church is very busy....5 colorful domes, mosaic panels depicting scenes from the New Testament, ceramic tiles, carved marble, and more - but it all works. Inside there are 20+ types of minerals including jasper, rhodonite, serpentine, porphyry, and Italian marble - that are used on the mosaics of the iconostasis (the panel that separates the altar from the central part of the church), icon cases, floor and the canopy which sits over the exact spot where Alexander died. After exploring we went outside to see the church from different sides. Near the water were some buskers, small stalls selling souvenirs and an owl and raccoon available for a photo opp. The sun was shining and looking up at the church was just one of those perfect moments in time!

 

We had such a full morning and it was time to turn our thoughts to lunch. We went to the Malt House (yes, I did think it was an odd choice). We had potato salad and beef stroganoff, which I normally love. The potato salad was excellent but the stroganoff (served with potatoes instead of noodles) was really not good. Apparently this was a new restaurant choice by TJ. Unfortunately it was not a great one.

 

Next up - Peterhof...and a not-to-be missed St. Petersburg experience!

[Donna_In_India]

Inside the Market, St. Petersburg

 

 

Inside the Market, St. Petersburg - these were DELICIOUS!!

 

 

Inside the Market, St. Petersburg- Spices

 

 

Inside the Market, St. Petersburg - Dried Fruits/Nuts

 

 

Inside the Market, St. Petersburg - Looking like a grocery store

 

 

Inside the Market, St. Petersburg - Fruits & Veggies

 

[Donna_In_India]

Entrance to the Peter and Paul Fortress is through the gates of the Ioannovskiy Ravelin

 

 

 

The Mint - Peter and Paul Fortress

 

 

Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul

 

 

Inside Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul

 

 

Inside Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul - The Nave

 

 

Inside Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul - Tombs

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by Donna_In_India

[Donna_In_India]

St. Petersburg has GREAT street lamps

 

 

Entrance to Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Entrance to Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Inside Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Inside Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Inside Church of Spilled Blood

 

[Donna_In_India]

Inside Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Inside Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Inside Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

View from the back of Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

The back of Church of Spilled Blood

 

 

Entrance to/Lunch at The Malt House